What I Learned in 2022

 

By Andrea Merrell

While many are making resolutions for this New Year, I’m busy reflecting on the events of 2022 and what God has done in, through, and for me.

This past year was a tough one for me, especially health-wise. But God—my always faithful, ever-present healer—brought me through every sickness, test, and procedure. After twenty-five years of chronic back pain, I am very close to being pain-free due to a simple injection—something only my heavenly Father could have arranged the way He did. My lesson? Keep praying, keep standing in faith, and never give up.

After attending the funeral of several friends, I’ve learned how fleeting life is and how we should show our love and appreciation to the people in our life while we have the chance.

Being hours away from my daughter and not seeing her for almost a year, made me realize the importance of family. Not being with her for Christmas showed me how families should always be together whenever possible, loving each other and making memories.

Watching a dear friend suffer a heart attack and then go through open-heart surgery showed me how precious our friendships are and how we should treasure them. We should pray for them and have their backs at all times.

Through every situation I faced in 2022, God proved time and again that when I can’t, He can. When I don’t have the answer, He does. When I don’t have strength, He gives me His. I know that I can experience His peace in the midst of any storm and His joy no matter what is going on around me. I can trust Him to take care of me and provide everything I need. I can count on Him because He is concerned about every little thing that concerns me and promises to perfect it in His way and in His time.

What I learned in 2022 is that God is good—all the time—and His goodness will pave the way for a blessed and prosperous 2023 as long as I keep my mind and heart focused on Him.

Happy New Year!

Photo courtesy of Canva.

 

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God is good—all the time—and His goodness will pave the way for a blessed and prosperous 2023 for those who trust in Him. Happy New Year! via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

Merry Christmas from Words That Matter

This year, as you celebrate the holiday season with friends and family, prepare a special place in your heart for the Christ of Christmas. Rejoice at his birth, but remember ... He is no longer the babe in the manger. He is our risen Savior. King of kings and Lord of lords. Emmanuel. God with us. Celebrate Him, not only at Christmas, but every single day throughout the year.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a blessed and prosperous New Year.

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Celebrate the birth of Jesus, but honor Him as risen Savior. King of kings and Lord of Lords. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

Time to Carry Out the Rubbish

By Andrea Merrell

Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house

of the Lord God of your fathers,

and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.

2 Chronicles 29:5 NKJV

It’s that time of year again—time to forget the old and think about the new. Time to set goals, make resolutions, or renew long, overdue commitments. Time to forget about all the things we regret about last year or neglected to accomplish, while making plans for the future.

New Year. Fresh Start. Clean Slate.

In all reality, most of the goals, resolutions, and commitments we come up with seldom make it past a few days or weeks: lose weight, exercise, eat healthier, read the Bible more, catch up with old friends … 

The list goes on. We all have good intentions.

If we lived in Scotland, we would be cleaning out our house, emptying all the ashes from the fireplace, and paying off all outstanding debts.

Now that’s what I call a great way to enter a New Year.

But maybe a better way to enter 2019 would be a heart-cleaning rather than a house-cleaning. What a great time to get rid of all the wrong thoughts, negative attitudes, and bad habits that set up residence in us in 2018. In 2 Chronicles, the Levites were told to sanctify themselves and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. We are that holy place—God’s temple where His Spirit resides.

Make it a priority this week to spend some quality time in the Lord’s presence. Ask Him to shine a light on those places that need to be cleaned out. Then be ready to carry out the rubbish and enter this New Year with praise and joyful expectation for all the Lord has in store for you.

Wishing you a wonderful year filled with all the goodness and blessings of the Lord.

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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New Year. Fresh Start. Clean Slate. Enter this New Year with praise and joyful expectation for all the Lord has in store for you. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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Move Out of Your Comfort Zone in 2019

By Andrea Merrell

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

I’ll have to admit, I’m not very adventurous. I like to play it safe, staying well inside my comfort zone. But one morning during my quiet time with the Lord, I was reading my daily devotional from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young and it addressed this very subject.

Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief. Your longing to live close to me is at odds with your attempt to minimize risk. You are approaching a crossroads in your journey. In order to follow me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.

Going out on that proverbial limb can be scary but as Sarah Young so aptly puts it, if that’s where God is leading, it’s the “safest place to be.”

Everyone has that dreaded fear of the unknown to some degree. Some push past it easily and take the plunge, while those of us who want to know exactly what’s ahead tend to hold back and wait for a clear signal.

I can tell you that the times I’ve moved out of my comfort zone and taken that leap of faith, God has been right there, holding my hand and guiding my steps. There is no greater satisfaction or fulfillment than to be obedient and walk in our calling.

So, my question for you as we enter this New Year is are you ready to move out of your comfort zone? Are you willing to move forward in 2019 and do those things you’ve been shying away from? Maybe you want to try a new sport, take a class at a local college, or learn a new language. Perhaps you have a desire to write a book, take voice lessons, or try out for a part in your local theater. Whether it’s a matter of changing your hair color or changing your career, if God’s put it in your heart, go for it.

Wishing you and your family a blessed and prosperous New Year.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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Welcome to a New Year

By Andrea Merrell

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,

but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past

and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach

the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize

for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14

It’s been a rough year. Between several months of sickness, an eye surgery with weeks of recovery, radiation for my husband, and serious family issues, 2017 is not a time I will remember with fondness.

Can you relate? Maybe this has not been your best year. Perhaps you’re looking forward to a fresh start in 2018.

The apostle Paul wrote these words: But I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead … If anyone had reason to complain, it was Paul. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, robbed, thrown into prison, and rejected by his own countrymen.

And we think we have problems …

The truth is we can dwell on the past and the problems we endured, or put it all behind us and look forward to what God has in store for us. We’re all familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, but I love the way the Message puts it: I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

As this New Year unfolds, make your relationship with God your number one priority. Don’t dwell on the past, but look forward to the future. God’s promises are many and with Him, your best days are always ahead.

Wishing you a bright, healthy, prosperous, and Jesus-filled New Year!

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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God’s promises are many and with Him, your best days are always ahead. Via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

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